The car stopped with a loud screeching noise in front of the house in the woods. A short guy jumped out and opened the boot. He groaned as he tries to get the object from the boot. Finally he got it out of the boot and loaded it onto his shoulders. He closed the boot and walked to the house. He searched in his pockets and realised that he had left the housekeys in the car.

“Damn!!” he cursed to himself.

He put the object down and ran back to the car.

In the house, from the second floor, someone was keeping a eye on him as he ran up and down. The person then moved away from the window and went downstairs.

The short guy finally got the door open and carried the object into the house. He laid it on the ground and switched the lights on.

“Boss!?” he called. “Boss!?” he called again. “Are you here?”

Zali came downstairs looking pleased.

“Where else would I be?” he said, patting Shorty on the shoulders.

“I got her, Boss,” he said and showed him where Thandi layed on the floor.

“Good. I hope you left the note like I told you to,” Zali said.

“Yes, Boss, I did,” Shorty said, taking off his torn up shirt. “This one sure’s got a lot of fight in her,” Shorty continued.

Zali laughed. “Tie her up in the room upstairs, Shorty. I dont want her to get away.”

“Yes, Boss.” Shorty said while Zali continued to laugh.

***

I couldn’t sleep last night because I knew that someone was out there, waiting to get me. They could be planning on getting revenge. I had to warn Thandi and Sam. As it was Saturday I knew that Sam would sleep late, so I thought that I’d first go to Thandi and hoped that she would listen to me.

At 9h00 I went to Thandi’s to tell her what I knew. I knocked on the front door. No answer. Again I knocked. No answer. I went round the back and found that the door was halfway open. I slowly entered.

“Thandi?” I called. No answer.

I walked through the kitchen and found the livingroom in a mess.

“It looks like someone had a fight in here. What the hell?” I said. “Thandi?” I called, “Where are you?”

I searched on the floor and found a note addressed to me. So these guys knew that I’d be here.

The note said:

Bongani

i think u should know by now who has kidnapped ur galfrnd and why.i think my associate informed u last night.

(I stood there shocked. Then continued to read.)

if u wanna c ur galfrnd again u wil take da car infront of that old fool’s shop and come to me

im in the woods before i forget the keys are in ur house and do please come alone. Sent my regards to mellisa will ya.

Z

How would Zali know Mellisa? I sat down and thought for a moment. “EUREKA!!” I shouted.

Mellissa is Mr Khate’s daughter. He would have known that Melissa had tried to break Thandi and me up two years ago. He now had used Melissa to get me away from Thandi, so that Zali could kidnap her.

This meant that Mr Khate knew Zali. As did Officer Thina.

I went home and dialled Officer Thina, asking him to come over to be with me in case Zali decided to strike. Now, that’s what I told him, but actually what I was wanting to do was to get him out of the equation.